Economic and demographic consequences of AIDS in Namibia: rapid assessment of the costs
Ojo, K.; Delaney, M.
International Journal of Health Planning and Management 12(4): 315-326
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0749-6753 PMID: 10177418 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1751(199710/12)12:4<315::aid-hpm492>3.0.co;2-aDocument Number: 530103
Namibia, with a population of 1.6 million people, is one of the countries most severely affected with HIV/AIDS. While more than 28,000 cases of HIV infection have been reported in Namibia since the first case was documented in 1986, some estimate that there are more than 100,000 HIV cases in the country. The AIDS epidemic in Namibia will most likely aggravate poverty and increase levels of social inequity. The government of Namibia recently announced that it plans to provide financial support to people living with AIDS and their family members. However, government budgets are already stretched and funds are still needed for HIV/AIDS prevention. Results are presented from a rapid assessment of the economic costs of HIV/AIDS in Namibia over the next 5 years of the First National Development Plan. The estimates, based upon projections calculated by the DEMPROJ and AIDS Impact Model computer models, include the direct and indirect costs, with the direct costs being the costs to the economy of support payments to people living with AIDS, their families and children orphaned due to AIDS. Government and donor expenditure on national prevention and control efforts are also included. When specific data were unavailable for Namibia, the programs' default values for sub-Saharan Africa were used when deemed reasonable. The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Namibia will affect all sectors of the economy, taxing hospital, public health, and private and community resources.